Ariel Castro Blames Victims: ‘I Am Not A Monster, I’m Just Sick’

Ariel Castro blamed everyone but himself for kidnapping, raping, and torturing his three victims, during his sentencing hearing today, August 1. Here, his shocking excuses in front of the judge and brave kidnapping victim, Michelle Knight.

Ariel Castro took to the stand at his August 1 sentencing to take his sentence and supposedly “apologize” for his actions — but did not seem to think he did much wrong. Though he pleaded guilty to 937 counts of rape, kidnapping, and murder, he made a point to deny his accountability and listed every excuse he could think of. The judge had a list just as long for Castro — a litany of sentencing charges and a sharp reality check.

Ariel Castro Sentencing: Apologizes & Denies Responsibility

“I did not prey on these women,” Ariel Castro claimed when it was his turn to speak. As one of his kidnapping victims, Michelle Knight, bravely watched from the other side of the courtroom, Castro doled out some of the most unbelievable excuses.

“I am not a monster, I’m just sick,” Castro tried to explain. “I am not a sexual predator.”

On July 26, Castro pleaded guilty to count of rape, kidnapping, and murder, but he started backtracking when he felt he wasn’t really in the wrong. After the judge brought up his murder charges, Castro felt the need to clear himself. “For the record, I never killed anyone, I’m not a murder,” Castro interjected, despite explicitly admitting to the charges in his indictment.

Judge Argues With Ariel Castro: ‘Yes, You Are A Predator’

While Castro “may not like the terminology,” of some of his charges — like the title “sexual predator,” — the judge assured Castro, “yes, you are a predator.”

The Judge explained that since Castro had a functioning, non-abusive relationship with a girlfriend at the time, “you are able to choose who you wish to victimize.” “You feel you are a victim … you’ve been a victimizer,” the judge tried to explain to Castro, who expressed that he did not victimize any of the three women — Michelle, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus— kept jailed in his home.

“You have extreme narcissism,” the judge told Castro as he doled out the massive list of charges that Castro was sentenced to. “Your excuses don’t take away from the harm that was involved.”

Castro was sentenced to between 8 years and lifetime imprisonment on each individual one of his 937 counts, bringing up his sentence to life plus 1000 years, without parole. Most sentences are to be served consecutively in order to achieve justice and “protect the public from future crime.” The huge sentence is “not inappropriate,” explains the judge, given the severity of the crimes and “the sheer number of incidents.”

The judge explained that Castro “will never be released” from jail “for any reason.”

He will also be charged $100,000 in hearing expenses and is allowed “no contact with any survivors” — including the daughter he fathered with victim Amanda.

“They prevailed. You thought you dominated them, but you didn’t,” the judge included in his final statement, as Michelle Knight smiled at the verdict.